Improvement in fire-extinguishing apparatus



UNIT -1n STATES Jos-EPHH; OONNELLY,'OF NEW BRIGHTON, AssieNon TOJAMESL.HAST- iNes AND WILLIAM H. HASTINGS, or PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT m FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS:

I Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 170,050;datedNovember 16, 1875; applicatioufil ed September 4, 1875.

. To all whom it may concern:

I Be it knownthat I, J OSEPH H. UoNNELLY, of

- New Brighton, county of Beaver, State of Pen nsylvania, have inventedor discovered a new and useful Improvement in Fire-ExtinguishingApparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,concise, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to coverremoved, theibetter to show the devices within; and Fig. 2 is a top orplan view of the same. 7

My present invention, while in some of its parts applicable to the usesand operations described in United States Patent No. 161,388, grantedtome March 30, l875,'is more particularly designed for preventing andextinguishingfires in large tanks ofoil orother fluid hydrocarbons. Assuch fluids burn readily and with great intensity, and as, when burning,the fire cannot be extinguished with water, and is ordinarilyinaccessible to the use of other fire-extinguishers now in common use,and as such fluids, especially in a crude state, are commonly stored inimmense tanks, it has generally been found impossible to extinguish suchfires, and commonly they have been allowed to burn out. The dangerarising from such fires to contiguous property is verygreat, especiallywhen, as, frequently happens, the tank bursts or springs a leak, forthen the burning oil runs in streams of flame, and communicates fire toall combustibleswithin reach. By my improved apparatus 1 am enabled toapply carbonic-acid gas to extinguishing mfires in such close tanks, andalso to preventing, them, and such gas may be used either as it comesfrom the generator, or mixed with water, air, or other gas or liquid.

At B I have shown an ordinary form of generator for the preparation ofcarbonic-acid gas by the use of any known suitable materials.

At D D D I have shown a series of receivers, which may be prepared andfitted up in any desired number or order of arrangement; but forordinary uses I prefer to employ D D water receiver.

as gas-receivers, and D as a combined gas and Preparatory to beingused', it is filled nearly or quite full ofwater. the gas-generator Bthe gas-conducting pipe a leads b branches a a to the ms receivers orholders D D in which, as they are made gas-tight, and asvthedischarge-cocks are closed, the carbonic-acid gas is stored to thedesired pressure. From the pipe a, a third pipe, a leads into thereceiver D1 above the waterline, and extends down inside, and opens ator near the bottom, the discharge-cocks here also being closed. Thesepipes are fitted with known forms of supply and shut-off cockscc 0 0 AtP I have shown a cylindrical oiltank, partly filled with oil, made witha close cover, 10; but the style or construction of the tank is notmaterial, since my improvements may be applied to any form of tank.Around the inside periphery of the tank I, I arrange a pipe, e, whichhas on its inner side, and at short intervals, a series of small jetholes or perforations; but I prefer to insert therein 1 a 1 series ofjet-nozzles, 0 each discharging iuwardly, and preferably at an angletotheradial line thereof, so that the gas discharged therefrom shall movein a kind of swirl toward the center. I also prefer to use, in verylarge tanks, two or more radial pipes, c ,with like jets e dischargingin the like direction; but in small tanks such radial pipes will not berequired, unless it be to conduct the gas to the peripheral pipe 6.These pipes are intended to rest on the surface of the oil in the tankby means of suitable floats b, or to be adjustable to that level bymeans of counterweights and chains N, in the manner ordinarily'practicedwith gas-holders, though other modes of adjustment may be employed, andlike means of floating or adjusting the pipes may here be employed.And'in order that the supply-pipe connection may also be adjustable, Iemploy a swinging gas-joint, as illustrated at 12 or other like knownsuitable means for supplying the gas at varying distances. From thegas-receivers D D I carry the gas by pipes s s s to pipes in the tank,such pipes being fitted with the usual cocks r r W, as may be required.With the same line of pipe I connect a pipe, 8, fitted with a cock Fromr, from the water and gas receiver D Then, in case the oil in the tankgets on fire from any cause, the gas is turned on by opening the propercook or cocks, and the jets of gas, being projected horizontally acrossthe face or level of the oil in the tank, introduce a layer or stratumof the gas directly onto the surface of the oil, so as effectually tocut off the flame above and deaden or destroy the combustion below; andthe gas alone may be used from the receivers D D or, by opening the cock8. gas and water commingled may be used; orthe gas may be used inconnection or intermingled with air or other gas, steam, or vapor underpressure. The pipes 6, instead of being at the periphery or sides of thetank,

may be arranged at a little distance therefrom,

and discharge jets in both directions. The direction in which the pipesextend along the surface of the oil, as well as theorder of theirarrangement thereon. are not material. The receivers or holders 1) D Dmay be in'ultiplied according to the amount of oil-surface to beguarded, and I prefer to arrange them alternately, first agas-receiver,then acombined gas-and-water receiver, then a gas-receiver, and so on.

For ordinary purposes there should be two receivers at least, so thatone may be recharged while the gas in the other is being used but thegas may, by a suitable pump,

bev forced into the receivers,.where it isinconvenient or impossible tosecure the requlsite pressure direct from the generator.

The perforated jet-pipes may be employed.

of fluid without regard to the adjustment of the jets or perforations,substantially as set forth.

2. The gas and gas-and-water receivers D 1) D alternately arranged, incombination with a common supply anda common discharge, substantially asand for the uses set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH H; OONNELLY.

Witnesses:

JNo. A. WILsoN, GEORGE H. OHRIsTY.

